


The Dreams Of David Sarif

by TheMadSlasher



Category: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Genre: Anti-Christian themes, Anti-Religious Themes, Character Study, David Sarif Was Right, Gen, Ideological Self-Indulgence, No Smut, Philosophical themes, dramatic speeches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-04-21 17:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22099579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMadSlasher/pseuds/TheMadSlasher
Summary: Surely a big-shot CEO can fantasize... He can also reminisce. In this duo of brief ficlets, we witness a formative instance from Sarif's youth, and we observe what he REALLY wanted to say in the event of testifying before Congress...
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	The Dreams Of David Sarif

**1\. A Recollection **  
  
1989 - Boston, MA - St. Elizabeth's Medical Center 

The man in the hospital bed looked over at his right arm. The limb was bent out of shape and turning an almost blackish-green color. The agony was a constant grinding illuminated with sharp flashes that reminded him of the shards of metal the car crash drove into the wounds. Ever so often, his limb began to feel bloated with a swelling pressure that built until he felt like his flesh would pop.

He couldn't remember why it took them so long to find the tangled wreckage of the car, but the damage was done. No antibiotic was strong enough to resist the gangrene, and there was only one way to stop the infection from spreading.

He heard a knock at his door. "Come in."

A priest clad in a simple black cassock walked into his room. "Is there anything I can do for you, my son?"

"No," he replied coldly. Ever since he turned eighteen, he always refused to go to Church no matter how much his parents pleaded with him.

The priest approached his bed regardless. "I know this is a difficult time for you, David, but it might help to talk."

"My mom's Catholic. I'm not."

"Perhaps this event is God calling out to you?"

Sarif instantly glared at the priest. His teeth began grinding together; only his weariness stopped him from commanding the clergyman to leave.

"In knowing weakness, in knowing pain, we know who and what we are. That is what it means to be human, David. Humanity is sufferring, pain and frailty. This is why Jesus suffered so much for us... this pain of yours is a gift, David. It brings you closer to Christ."

And at that moment, David Sarif realized exactly why he hated Church. He realized precisely why the Mass proclaimed human depravity with such enthusiasm. All the pieces fell into place; as he looked into the priest's eyes he felt like Prometheus looking into the eyes of the eagles that came to tear him apart.

"To err is human, David. To suffer is human. To experience pain is human. To be defeated and lowly and pathetic is human."

"So to be strong and worthy and admirable is inhuman?" Sarif quickly asked back as he tried to raise his eyebrow.

"Glory is for God, not man," the priest replied. "Don't fall into Pride."

"Get out," he snapped back at the priest.

For a second, the priest paused. He raised his eyebrow at the young man in the hospital bed; his gaze moved along the broken body as he took a breath. "As you wish," he said coldly as he turned around and left the room.

And for the first time that week, David Sarif smiled. _Soon as I get this arm cut off, I'll build a better one. That's what we humans do, no matter what any priest says._

**2\. A Testimony**

David stood up and faced the Committee; his face remained as still as one of the many ancient statues from the lands his parents were born in. He took one slow breath before he began to speak.

"Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man. From then on, man had light and warmth; but Zeus demanded vengenace. For helping man ascend, Prometheus was chained to a rock and had his liver pecked out every day. The Serpent in the Garden of Eden told Eve that if she and Adam were to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, they would become like God. For this, God kicked them out and the Serpent had its legs obliterated. Then man built a tower so tall, it could reach the heavens and raise us to God's level. God smashed the tower and cursed us with different languages to make it impossible for man to collaborate on such an effort again."

As he continued, a small smirk began to cross his face. "I wonder why my company's Universal Translator augmentation hasn't been fried by rogue lightning bolts."

The committee didn't laugh.

Sarif pressed onwards. "Our Greek and Christian mythologies have this recurring theme; 'man: know your place!' The crime of Prometheus was to allow man to raise himself up. The crime of Icarus was to fly, in defiance of the natural order which did not grant man wings. The crime of Oedipus was to be arrogant enough to believe he made his own fate. The crime of the Serpent was to teach man knowledge of morality and thus become like God. Countless works of art, myths and legends and dramas, scripture and theology, all of it boils down to one giant proclamation that man is made from mud so we should stay down where we belong."

He remembered when he was younger; the utter indignity of hearing it in his parent's churches. _Learn humility, you are a sinner, you aren't worthy to lick the crumbs up from under the Lord's table, you only have dignity because God made you in His image, by yourself you are worse than nothing_.

He clenched his fist at the memories and took a steady breath. "These ancient myths are all dumb superstitions. But today, they hold more power over us than they ever did. We shy from improving ourselves for fear of being struck down by furious, hateful Gods that actively conspire against our growing great. The Olympians of this world wish to keep their ambrosia for themselves alone so they can keep us under their yoke! I don't care what your legal documents say; that is my real crime!"

"Mister Sarif," the Committee Chair said in a deadpan voice lacking any inflection, "could you get to the point?"

"This _is_ the point," Sarif retorted. "From half of you guys," he gestured towards some of the committee members, "you said what I did was wrong because it would create an underclass of have-nots. So then my company discovers how to make augmentation radically cheaper and thus accessible to almost everyone! So then my science team gets kidnapped by people that want to keep control over who gets augmented, and _I'm_ the man responsible for inequality?!? Do you pencil-pushers have any knowledge of technological history? Prices are always high for something new, and the thing gets cheaper as technology marches on."

Several committee members glared at him. Sarif realized what he just said violated the story he manufactured at Panchaea, but he knew most of the people on the committee had the truth anyway. _This building has about as much honesty in it as Picus_, he thought bitterly.

"And then you people," he pointed at the other half of the committee members, "then say what I do is wrong because it goes against God. How convenient that God wants exactly what you want, that only you and people that go to your Backwater Baptist Church know what God wants, and God has appointed oh-so-special You to deliver us from sin!"

Several gasps came from the audience. The committee merely glared at him with even more hatred; Sarif could feel their gazes against his body like a laser beam attempting to burn through his flesh.

"All of it is just rationalizing. You all love Augmentations as long as you control who gets them! Let's take you, Senator Richards," he pointed at the Senator from Utah while removing a piece of paper from the folder on his desk, "who goes on about the 'sacred integrity of God's creation' but had a Social Enhancer installed just before you commenced a campaign that got you re-elected by a landslide margin."

Another gasp from the audience followed. Sarif couldn't stop a self-satisfied smirk from spreading across his face.

"Or what about you, Senator Kilburn," he pointed at the Senator from Massachusetts, "who doesn't want anyone to be augmented beyond a baseline that will only be increased when everyone is augmented equally, but was more than happy to get his beloved daughter a leg enhancement to further her athletics career?"

The audience bubbled with hushed chatter while the Chairman banged his gavel repeatedly. "Order! This meeting shall come to order immediately!" The Chairman paused as the room fell silent again. He then looked into Sarif's eyes; the gaze was defiant and unwavering. He carefully monitored his tone of voice to remove any rasping he wanted to make; "We've sat here listening to your lecture on mythology for quite a while, Sarif. Let's get to business; this is an exploratory meeting discussing the role of augmentation in our society and the principles on which public policy should moderate said role. Do you have any comments on this topic specifically?"

Sarif paused for a second before he replied. "Yeah. I shouldn't have to answer for anything until I've committed an actual violation of the laws of this nation. Until then, I've got enough constitutional liberty to keep your alphabet-soup agencies out of my business. Either charge me with a god damn crime, or stay the hell out of my way!"


End file.
